This is part of a sponsored collaboration with AstraZeneca and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

When before I reached my third trimester during my second pregnancy, my OB/GYN in New York told me that I was presenting dilatation symptoms and that it was better that I stayed in the city for observation, the thought of Guillermo being a premature baby crossed my mind.

If well, my plans changed totally and I was forced to put my Miami life on hold to rest in a very cold New York winter for more than three months, these extreme precautions paid when I received my baby in my arms completely healthy, after 38 weeks of gestation.

After this experience, that fortunately had a happy end, I developed an special empathy for premature babies parents, but also the consciousness of the challanges that come with a baby who arrives before time to this world.

So, when AstraZeneca announced its campaign to raise awareness about the risks that premature babies face with the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, I immediately signed myself up.

Every parent wants to keep their newborn happy and healthy when they return home from the hospital, but parents of premature babies may face a greater challenge protecting their children, specially during winter months.

For these reasons, it is very important that premature babies parents are very well informed about RSV, a common virus that affects nearly 100% of babies by the age of 2, and that is the leading cause for infant hospitalizations in the US.

So, if your baby is premature, I share here this chart in wich you can get acquainted with RSV. Pay special attention to the symptoms that are in purple, so you can be alert in case your baby has them.

Be very alert, specially during November through March, and visit this webpage so you can inform yourself about the symptoms, risks and precautions that you should consider regarding RSV.